Science Times: It Came Back from Outer Space!

Plus: The Great Koala Count —

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 8, 2020 Morgan Sette/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Japan’s Journey to an Asteroid Ends With a Hunt in Australia’s Outback The Hayabusa2 mission cements Japan’s role in exploring the solar system, but finding its asteroid cargo presented one last challenge. By Kenneth Chang China National Space Administration Watch a Chinese Spacecraft Launch From the Moon and Start Its Trip Back to Earth Chang’e-5 will soon attempt to dock in lunar orbit with another spacecraft, ahead of returning a cache of moon rocks and dirt to scientists on our planet. By Kenneth Chang Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images Australia Gears Up for the Great Koala Count, Using Drones, Droppings and Dogs The marsupials are not easy to find, or count accurately, so officials will deploy new methods. By Yan Zhuang Ted S. Warren/Associated Press How Scientists Tracked Down a Mass Killer (of Salmon) Something was decimating the salmon that had been restored to creeks around Puget Sound. By Catrin Einhorn Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Podcast: Makers of the Pfizer Vaccine While you’re waiting for a coronavirus vaccine, get to know the German power couple and co-founders of BioNTech who are behind Pfizer’s vaccine, which Britain has just approved. Listen to this episode of Sway, hosted by Kara Swisher. THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK Juan Arredondo for The New York Times The Elderly vs. Essential Workers: Who Should Get the Coronavirus Vaccine First? The C.D.C. will soon decide which group to recommend next, and the debate over the trade-offs is growing heated. Ultimately, states will determine whom to include. By Abby Goodnough and Jan Hoffman Go Nakamura for The New York Times ‘Nobody Sees Us’: Testing-Lab Workers Strain Under Demand Laboratory technologists have been working nonstop to help the nation diagnose an ever-growing number of coronavirus cases. By Katherine J. Wu Marco Bello/Reuters ‘Natural Immunity’ From Covid Is Not Safer Than a Vaccine What if you’ve already had Covid-19 — do you still need a vaccine? Experts tackle questions about vaccine immunity. By Apoorva Mandavilli NA The Swiss Cheese Model of Pandemic Defense It’s not edible, but it can save lives. The virologist Ian Mackay explains how. By Siobhan Roberts Marco Bello/Reuters Matter Could a Blood Test Show if a Covid-19 Vaccine Works? A new monkey study offers a ray of hope for speeding up clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccines. By Carl Zimmer   How Moderna’s Vaccine Works Two shots can prime the immune system to fight the coronavirus. By Jonathan Corum and Carl Zimmer Schaun Champion for The New York Times Covid Survivors With Long-Term Symptoms Need Urgent Attention, Experts Say In a two-day meeting sponsored by the N.I.H., officials acknowledged an insufficient understanding of the issues and warned of a growing public health problem. By Pam Belluck Misha Friedman for The New York Times Virus May Have Arrived in U.S. in December, but Didn’t Spread Until Later Blood samples collected in mid-December indicate possible infections more than a month before the known first case of Covid-19, but do not show community transmission. By James Gorman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT OTHER SCIENCE NEWS Nature Picture Library/Alamy Trilobites How You Can Help Count and Conserve Native Bees Honeybees and their problems get the most attention, but scientists are using tactics learned from bird conservation to protect American bees. By Michele C. Hollow NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA Launched a Rocket 54 Years Ago. Has It Finally Come Home? Surveyor 2 crashed on the moon in 1966. Astronomers think they’ve spotted a piece of the mission that kept going deeper into space. By Katherine Kornei Toit et al., 2020 Trilobites This Unusual Bird Superpower Goes Back to the Dinosaur Extinction Kiwis, ibises and sandpipers share this sensory power with birds that lived millions of years ago. By Veronique Greenwood Yang Niu Trilobites This Plant Evolved to Hide From a Predator. It Might Be Us. While people deliberately breed plants, a team of researchers say humans have inadvertently prompted this one to develop camouflage. By Cara Giaimo Trump Administration Declines to Tighten Soot Rules, Despite Link to Covid Deaths Health experts say the E.P.A. decision defies scientific research showing that particulate pollution contributes to tens of thousands of premature deaths annually. By Coral Davenport Trilobites Archaeologists Could Help Bring Otters Back From the Dead The sea mammals vanished from Oregon’s coast long ago, but a technique from human archaeology offers a clue to restoring them. By Joshua Sokol A ‘Front-Row Seat’ to the Birth of a Comet Astronomers are watching an object transform into a hyperactive comet that will head toward the inner solar system in the coming decades. By Robin George Andrews The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico Collapses Astronomers and residents of Puerto Rico mourned as an eye on the cosmos shuttered unexpectedly on Tuesday morning. By Maria Cramer and Dennis Overbye Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CLIMATE CHANGE Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times A Race Against Time to Rescue a Reef From Climate Change In an unusual experiment, a coral reef in Mexico is now insured against hurricanes. A team of locals known as “the Brigade” rushed to repair the devastated corals, piece by piece. By Catrin Einhorn, Christopher Flavelle and Daniel Berehulak Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/Alamy Live News Another Month on a Warming Planet: Record-Hot November European scientists reported that November’s global temperatures were the highest ever, surpassing the previous record, set in 2016 and 2019. By Henry Fountain Email us Let us know how we’re doing at sciencenewsletter@nytimes.com. HEALTH Gracia Lam Personal Health When a Family Is Fractured For most people, estrangements and family rifts are a source of chronic stress that threatens “mental, social and physical well-being.” By Jane E. Brody Lorenzo Gritti Yes, Many of Us Are Stress-Eating and Gaining Weight in the Pandemic A global study confirms that during the pandemic, many of us ate more junk food, exercised less, were more anxious and got less sleep. By Anahad O’Connor Getty Images Phys Ed 11 Minutes of Exercise a Day May Help Counter the Effects of Sitting The sweet spot for physical activity and longevity seemed to arrive at about 35 minutes a day of brisk walking or other moderate activities. By Gretchen Reynolds Stan Grossfeld/The Boston Globe, via Getty Images The Checkup New Sports Guidelines for Young Athletes After Covid-19 Children and adolescents who want to return to sports after having the coronavirus should be cleared by a doctor for heart risks. By Perri Klass, M.D. Doctors Are Skeptical of Pricey Drug Given Emergency Approval for Covid Baricitinib, an arthritis drug made by Eli Lilly, may reduce recovery time by a day, but costs about $1,500 and comes with side effects. By Katherine J. Wu Overlooked No More: Barbara Waxman Fiduccia, Reproductive Rights Advocate A sexual health educator and counselor in Los Angeles, she challenged a dominant culture that viewed people with disabilities as asexual beings. By Denise Gellene Make a friend’s day: Forward this email. Got this from a friend? Subscribe to the Science Times newsletter. Check out other New York Times newsletters (all free!) including: Climate Fwd: for climate coverage and expert analysis. The Upshot for a data-driven look at the news. Well for the latest on health, fitness and nutrition. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Science Times from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018